The Name of the Documentary

So the name of the documentary we are making has had twelve different titles.

I liked a lot of them, and people around me were quick with the veto. And yes, they were right.
But I think we've got the name now.

Examples of what has been vetoed so far:

Major Shift, No Minor Lift
Jewish Learning for the Whole Person

Meeting Levi
Jewish Learning for the Whole Person

To Nurture The Whole Person
A Major Shift in Jewish Learning


Not the Half of It
Learning for the Whole Person

Not Your Father's Oldsmobile
Jewish learning for the Whole Person

Frustrating. Trying to get something that you can repeat easily.

Like yeah, "Did you see that new documentary on Jewish learning ..you know the one called
Brian's song
American cousins
The Amateurs
Alice in Wonderland
Guys and Dolls
Get Smart
Waiting for Superman

The title has to be short, and memorable.
It has to say something about the core of the movie.

No one veto me now.
We are about 2/3 finished editing.
We've had a song written for it by Stereo Sinai.

The title: Drums please:

The High Five
For Whole Person Jewish Learning...*edited a few hours before the first screening... it changed..it became...........

The High Five
Jewish Learning That Nurtures the Whole Person

So you'll see the video and then you'll say, "What did you think about that movie, The High Five?"
You can repeat it, right?

Okay here is the core.
Our researchers, Dr. Bethamie Horowitz, Dr. David Bryfman and Dr. Jeff Kress
identify
you gotta go for the whole person. Jewish education is not for just the head, or just for having a good experiences.

Then they identify the stuff their research points to that can nurture the whole person.
What they say is not surprising but they are as clear as can be.
Here is The High Five
For Whole Person Jewish Learning

1. Live it...and as Dr. Horowitz says, and you gotta reflect on it.

2. Engage the Family...as Dr. Kress says, "one recurring data point is, even if popular culture tells you kids turn from their parents, no, parents really matter."

3. Attend to the Individual, as Dr. Kress says, "one size doesn't fit all." and as Dr. Horowitz says, "what are the questions of the learners, and connect Jewish resources to that." Or as Dr. Bryfman says, "once it was about a sacred individual giving over a sacred curriculum..." not any more

4. Build Relationships and community. Its not the program paradigm, who cares and gets and knows the person, and how to do they sustain those relationships over time in the congregation/community.

5. Redefine the role of teacher..sage on the stage is out..madrich, a guide, someone who accompanies you on your journey.

So the name of the documentary is also The "High Five" to the Coalition of Innovating Congregations who have put a hammer to the classroom only model and created models with these fives characteristics.



Hope the documentary:
The High Five
For Whole Person Jewish Learning

is finished for our screennig
at the City Winery on Wednesday..wish us luck